The Attic Atheneum is our groundbreaking alternative to the traditional and low-residency MFA.
An annual certificate program, the Attic Atheneum melds independent study under close faculty supervision, student receptions, public readings, and other special Atheneum events created around good food and great conversation, dialogue, and literary community.
Running for just under a year, the Atheneum is designed to advance your writing and seed literary life in the city. Atheneum Fellows form a unique community of literary artists and citizens.
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"The cross-genre Atheneum has given me some sense of what other writers are doing and a clearer sense of what writers in each genre have in common as well as our perceptions of art, our triumphs and frustrations with publishing, and the local literary scene."
~ Jodie Marion, Atheneum class of 2011
"When I started the Atheneum, I had made a commitment to doing whatever I needed to do to pursue my writing dreams. As an emerging writer, I have often dealt with insecurity about whether I was good enough as a writer and whether or not I could actually make this dream come true given how competitive and daunting the writing/publishing world can be. The Atheneum seemed like the perfect opportunity to take my writing life to another level. I had no idea how perfect it would turn out to be. From the start, the mentors in this program accepted all of us as peers and colleagues more so than students. The feedback and counsel I got from my individual meetings with my two mentors in the fiction group was very helpful and encouraging. Also, our group sessions and informal discussions provided opportunities for learning and sharing on a level much different than the typical classroom context. After nearly a year in the program, I feel like I've been accepted into a community of writers and have forged connections that will continue long after my time in the program is over. And best of all, I think now I can make this writing life happen for me. I'm grateful to the Atheneum program for helping me get here."
~ Wayne Gregory, Atheneum class of 2011
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Atheneum Faculty
Class of 2013: David Biespiel, Wendy Willis, Merridawn Duckler, G. Xavier Robillard, Lee Montgomery, Karen Karbo
Class of 2012: David Biespiel, Wendy Willis, Merridawn Duckler, G. Xavier Robillard, Cheryl Strayed, Karen Karbo
Class of 2011: David Biespiel, Paulann Petersen, Merridawn Duckler, G. Xavier Robillard, Cheryl Strayed, Karen Karbo
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We accept applications each year between May 1 - May 30.
Quick Takes
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ATHENEUM FELLOWS CLASS OF 2012
ATHENEUM FELLOWS CLASS OF 2011
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Historically, an atheneum is a literary or scientific association dedicated to learning. And that's how we envision the Attic Atheneum, too.
The Attic Atheneum offers a unique & pragmatic format for an intensive focus on your writing while participating fully in your everyday adult life. And, it offers a thriving literary community of fellow Atheneum participants. The Atheneum is comprised of 18 members: no more than 12 students (4 fiction writers, 4 non-fiction writers, and 4 poets) and six faculty.
An alternative to traditional or low-residency MFAs and also taking writing workshops from time to time, the Atheneum is structured to build on your strengths and encourage you to become an active participant in contemporary literary activities.
The program includes independent study under close faculty supervision, receptions, public readings, and discussion, selected readings, and other Atheneum events created around good food and great conversation, dialogue, and community. Plus, an end-of-program urban retreat to focus on your future writing goals.
The Atheneum aims to foster a strong sense of community among both students and faculty and to make each year's class of students a unique collection of writers and readers.
Our vision is that, in the future, Attic Atheneum alumni will continue to interact with current Atheneum members and help broaden a thriving literary community from year to year.
How does it work? Throughout your Atheneum year as an Atheneum Fellow, correspondence between you and the faculty mentor occur at regular intervals. Through building community & emphasizing an individualized course of study and engagement with faculty, our goal is not to duplicate the MFA model or to supply academic credentials, but to allow you to immerse yourself in your writing discipline, remain accountable to your aspirations over an extended and reasonable period of time, and reaffirm and renew your literary ambition and skills.
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We accept applications between May 1 - May 30.
Writers may nominate themselves.
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The Atheneum year runs from September to June.